San Diego Promise begins at local colleges

The first local response to a national call to make community college free for everyone is under way in San Diego for 201 students who will attend City, Mesa and Miramar colleges during the 2016-17 academic year.

“This program marks a significant step in the growing partnership between San Diego’s two largest educational institutions,” San Diego Unified School District board President Michael McQuary said in a Wednesday morning news conference at Mesa College.

“We share a common vision with the San Diego Community College District, which is the importance of equity,” he said.

President Barack Obama’s proposed “America’s College Promise” calls for two years of free community college for all students, but no federal funds for the plan have been offered. Instead, the president created a committee that asked each state to come up with their own plans to fund the program.

In California, that resulted in chancellors from all state community college districts uniting to create the California College Promise.

While full funding the local plan, San Diego Promise, still is years away, the community college district is launching a pilot version that will provide $215,000 for 201 students, including some already in summer school. Participants include 175 students from San Diego high schools and 25 from San Diego Continuing Education, the college district’s adult education division.

“We decided it would be better to start something that we could afford rather than wait and wait and wait,” said Constance Carroll, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District.

The pilot program is modeled after more than 130 similar programs around the country.

Carroll said the $215,000 for the pilot program came from interest generated from a $22 million endowment that funds various district expenses, including some scholarship programs and conferences.

It will take $3 million to fully fund the 2,200 to 2,500 San Diego Unified graduates who each year attend City, Mesa or Miramar colleges in the San Diego district, Carroll said. The district plans a fundraising campaign to meet the cost, she said.

California Community College students don’t pay tuition, but do pay $46 a unit in fees, which comes to $1,104 a year for students taking four three-unit classes over two semesters.

The plan won’t pay for all fees of every student, but would cover the cost of whatever is left after a student has received state or federal financial aid or scholarships.

About 60 percent of students already receive a fee waiver because of their financial situations.

Similar efforts to fulfill the California College Promise are at works in the county. On Wednesday, the Palomar Community College District announced its board had approved a memorandum of understanding between Palomar College, the Palomar College Foundation, San Marcos Unified School District and the San Marcos Promise to create The Palomar Promise.

That program is scheduled to start in the fall of 2017 and will provide students with up to $600 a semester for up to two consecutive years. Students will be required to have a grade-point average of at least 2.5 and be required to complete applications for federal student aid and for Palomar College Foundation scholarships.

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District has launched a similar program called the East County Education Alliance, which will provide laptops and pay fees of incoming students beginning in 2018.

Students in that program must maintain a 2.0 GPA, apply for financial aid and participate in events to learn about college and take a college-success course.

In San Diego Promise, students will be required to maintain a 2.0 GPA, take 12 units while making progress toward a degree or certificate, and participate in eight hours of community service.

San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten said 317 students from her district applied for the program and were selected on the basis of needs and their commitment to earning a college degree.

Of those selected for the program, 90 percent are students of color, she said.

“Just as we believe no one should have to leave their neighborhood to attend an amazing quality school, our community colleges also are committed to the idea that you should not have to leave San Diego to get a world-class education,” she said.

San Diego Community College District Trustee Peter Zschiesche, who also attended the news conference at Mesa College, said San Diego Promise was about more than financial assistance.

“From specialized counseling to help in creating a comprehensive education plan, the district is committed to making sure students participating in the promise reach their educational goals and succeed,” he said.

Students will receive wrap-around support with regular meetings with a counselor, participation in workshops and frequent e-mail reminders about remaining on track, he said.